Average Slots Payback Percentage

Dear Mark,
On average, what do slots return back to the player? - Henry P.

The average slot machine payout can range anywhere from 85% to 99% of all coins bet. Because the casino wants to make a certain amount of money per hour with its slots, the lower the denomination of the machine, the lower the payout. With a onedollar slot, the casino payback can be perhaps 98%, whereas with a machine at a lower denomination, such as dimes or nickels, the payout must be much lower to achieve the same hourly return for the casino.

A payout percentage of 98% means that 98%, on average, of all money that is inserted into the machine is being paid back to the player. In other words, the casino makes a 2% profit.

On average, you ask. Well, it varies with the geography, Hank, and you didn't mention where you play. But, to keep my rep as a nice guy, here are ballpark averages you will typically find across the U.S.of A.

Dear Mark,
Since I'm not considered an expert video poker player, would you suggest that I stay away from Triple and Five Play quarter machines, and instead continue playing singlehand, five coin machines? - Marty C.

Most video poker players cut their teeth on singlehand, 5coin machines. Today, there is an assortment of quarter video poker machines (as there are of dime and nickel machines) and many players are gravitating toward the increasingly popular Triple Play, Five Play, even Ten Play machines.

But these machines can be budget busters. For example, on a quarter Triple Play, if you play the maximum number of coins on each hand, you are putting 15 coins, or $3.75 in peril. On quarter Five Play machines, your bait amounts to 25 coins or $6.25, and on the quarter Ten Play machine, we're talking 50 coins or $12.50.

That's a whole lot of hardearned moolah for the most pennypinching gamblers who read this column. If you hit any sort of dry spell, your bankroll will dissolve like cotton candy in the rain, moderated only by the speed of your play.

My take on Triple and Five Play quarter machines is this: Even though multihand video poker machines can amplify your earning potential on decent hands, they can also magnify your losing potential on lousy ones. If you're playing 5coin singlehand video poker and are dealt garbage, you have but $1.25 overboard. On a Ten Play machine you have a whole lot more dough at stake for those same junk hands. Granted, Marty, though there are some acceptable paytables available in most gaming markets, a tightwad like me still tends to stay clear of them.

Here are a couple suggestions for those who enjoy multiplay video poker. First, seek out the best paytables. Paytables, or pay schedules, are posted somewhere on the front of a video poker machine, or on the screen itself, and they tell you what each winning hand will pay for the number of coins put at risk.

Also, always choose the slowest playing speed available when the casino allows you this option. Some casinos have this machine feature blocked out, forcing you to play at the highest speed. Bear in mind, Marty, the more hands you play per hour, the more you subject your bankroll to a quick shave by the house edge.

Gambling Quotes

"Life is a gamble, like crossing the road. One day chicken, next day feathers."- Unknown

"Having an ATM in a casino is like having a lap-dancer at a Hell's Angels Convention. - McAvoy Layne

"Gambling has held human beings in thrall for millennia. It has been engaged in everywhere, from the dregs of society to the most respectable circles."- Peter L. Bernstein

Besides lovemaking and singing in the shower, there aren't many human activities where there is a greater difference between a person's self-delusional ability and actual ability than in poker.- Steve Badget

"Betting is the only moral thing you can do. It is an intellectual pursuit, as good as The Times crossword. For millions, it is the only uninfluenced democratic decision they take."- Lord Wyatt